(KIWA Staff Photo)Iowa (Sioux County Radio) — Persistent rainfall limited Iowa farmers to just over one day of fieldwork during the week ending Sept. 27th, leaving corn and soybean harvest progress behind last year.
The latest USDA Crop Progress and Condition Report shows only 1.1 days were suitable for fieldwork, compared with 6.2 days during the same week last year.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said much of the state received above-average rainfall again last week and that September is on track to rank among Iowa’s warmest and wettest Septembers on record. He said the persistent wet conditions have kept many farmers waiting for an opportunity to return to their fields.
Corn and Soybean Harvests Trail Last Year
Five percent of Iowa’s corn crop had been harvested as of Sept. 27th, nine percentage points behind last year. Soybean harvest stood at 3%, trailing last year’s pace by 12 percentage points.
Corn maturity reached 72%, six percentage points behind last year, while 97% of the crop had reached the dent stage, matching last year’s progress.
62% percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, 18 percentage points behind last year.
Despite limited fieldwork, crop conditions remained favorable. 75% of Iowa’s corn and 74% of soybeans were rated good to excellent. Pasture conditions were rated 70% good to excellent.
Topsoil moisture was rated:
- 59% adequate
- 39% surplus
- 2% short
Subsoil moisture was rated:
- 64% adequate
- 27% surplus
- 8% short
- 1% very short
Northwest Iowa Rain Adds to Wet Conditions
The state’s weekly weather summary, provided by State Climatologist Justin Glisan, showed above-normal rainfall across Iowa, although precipitation totals were not as extreme as during the previous two weeks.
Showers developed over northwest Iowa overnight into Sept. 21st before expanding across north-central and eastern Iowa. Sibley recorded 1.47 inches of rain during that period.
Additional rounds of rainfall moved across the state later in the week. Weekly totals ranged from 0.19 inch at Dubuque Regional Airport to 3.61 inches at Eagle Grove. Iowa’s statewide average rainfall was 1.26 inches, compared with a normal weekly average of 0.80 inch.
While September overall is tracking toward unusually warm conditions, the reporting week itself was slightly cooler than normal. Iowa’s average temperature was 59.8 degrees, about 0.9 degree below normal.
Naig said forecasts suggest warmer weather may continue into October and that farmers could finally see a break from the rain. He said growers are eager to begin harvesting and will be ready to get combines rolling once fields dry out.
